The Zero Buying Power Paradox
The Zero Buying Power Paradox: Why Archaic Broker Regulations Are Choking the Colombo Stock Exchange (CSE) Reactivating a dormant trading account on the Colombo Stock Exchange (CSE) should be a seamless step toward re-engaging with the capital markets. Recently, after diligently submitting all required KYC and compliance documents, a portfolio worth nearly LKR 500,000 was finally granted access. Victorious? Not quite. What followed was a bureaucratic twist that exposes deep-rooted flaws in how retail investors are treated in Sri Lanka. The "Zero Buying Power" Wall Upon logging in, the account’s buying power was set to a baffling ZERO . When turning to the stockbroking firm for answers, the rationale provided was staggering: The Portfolio Threshold: Brokerage rules dictate that buying power will only be unlocked once the portfolio volume surpasses the LKR 500,000 mark, and even then, it is capped at a meagre 25% of the ...